Is HTC already working on a prime version of the HTC One M8?

Rumours are rife that HTC is once again set to make a bid to challenge the hierarchy at the very top end of the smartphone world, with experts believing that the company is already working on an updated and improved version of its flagship device.

The HTC One M8 was launched in the UK just a few weeks ago at the end of March to widespread acclaim, but could the company be looking to improve on the phone to challenge the likes of the Apple iPhone 5S, the Samsung Galaxy S5 and the Sony Xperia Z2?

The latest rumours seem to indicate so, with the traditionally consistent @evleaks having said this week that HTC is going in a different direction to that which most believed it was headed.

In the weeks since the HTC One M8 hit the shelves, most have been of the belief that the device’s successor would be the code named HTC One M8 Ace, a phone which would replace the flagship’s aluminium casing with a less premium plastic chassis – a move that would allow the company to offer it at a lower price.

However, @evleaks tweeted to say that it is actually working on something in the entirely opposite direction. The leaker said: “Forget the Ace. What y’all are really waiting for is codenamed M8 Prime.”

Experts believe that the reason the company has made this supposed u-turn is because of what is going on in Korea, where the largest smartphone manufacturer in the world, Samsung, is believed to be working on a prime version of its flagship Samsung Galaxy S5.

It is all about the battle to bring to market the first phone that packs a quad-HD display, and although Samsung has emerged as a leader with its plan to release a new version of its device, this news from HTC could spark a new dash for the finish line in that particular race.

We believe that this is the most likely outcome, with the company potentially working to simply upgrade the screen, but others have come from left field with the suggestion that it might actually look to challenge Samsung in another market entirely, with a bigger HTC One M8 going head to head with the Samsung Galaxy note range in the phablet market.